Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-09-10
IngcrsoIl Rightly Handled.

From the New YORK Mail eTsd EXPRESS.
1t is quite natural that Col Ingersolls conteInpt-
uous way OF expressing his ignorance OF the Chris
tian religion should exasperate the champions Of
Christianity, but it Is unfortunate that any Of
them should fail, in dealing with his loose and
careless generalizat1ons, to retain the advantage
OF secure confidence in the triumph OF the truths
that are now Overwhelmingly proved by the his
torical developments OF the Christian races and
nations.
OF the clercymen who have tackled Ingersoll
few have seemed TO be so entirely conscious OF
this advantage as DR.. Henry NJ Field, who in the
North American Review has addressed an open
letter to IngersOn that is model OF courtesy and
warmesit admirers cannot ind Single esn rss
sion to find fault with.
But there is no lack Of earnestness logical
muscle and keen d1alectIcS in this letter TO In
gersol, which recognizes all there Is in him and
In his words and ways that could be recognized,
and which yet shows Ingersolrs lack OF COM
prehension OF the elements of the great prob
lemns OF which Christianity alone has furnished
solutions that stand the wear and tear Of the
ages. 1t is the strength of DR.. Fields letter that
| he meets Ingersoll on common ground and uses
| the language and Illustrations that would most
strike intelligent and conscientious unbelievers.
Some Of Dr.. Fields replies to the lngersollian
1ppanI1es and iogicalities are so terse and clear
and self-evidencing that they ought to get before
the brighter young men of the country.
For instance, in reply to various EXPRESSIONS Of
Ingersoll's ostentatious and invincible ignorance
as to whether or not there is God, this line is
taken, viz: "Of course, 1.-THE question Of God
is mystery. But do you think to escape mystery
by denying the Divine existence? You only ex-
change one mystery for another. The first OF all
mysteries is not that God exists but that we ex-
iSt. Here we are. How did we come here? We 20
back to our ancestors; but that does not take
away the difficulty; it only removes it farther of.
Once begin to climb to the stairway OF past gener-
ations and you Will find that 1t is Jacobs ladder
on which you mount higher and higher until
y you step into the very presence Of the Al
One OF the best Of Dr.. Fields many specific re-
plies to IngersOlrs distortions OF truth is this:
R,yff n droff
OF Christ you take your revenge on the Apostles,
whom you do not hesitate to say that you don't
think much Of In fact you set them down in a
most peremptOry way as "a poor lot 1t did seem
rather an unpromising lot that Of boat load OF
fishermen, from which to choose the apostles Of a
religiOn-almost as unpromising as it was to take
rail-splltter to be the head OF q nation in the
greatest crisis of its history!
"But perhaps in both cases there was wisdom
might puzzle even you to give a better definition
OF religion than this Of the Apostle James: Pure
religion and undefiled before God and the Father
is thiS To visit the fatherleSS and widows in their
af1iictiOn and TO keep himself unSpOtted from the
world; or to find among those sages OF antiquity,
with whose writings you are familiar more com.
plete and perfect delneation OF that which is the
essence Of all goodness and virtue than Paul's de-
script1on of the charity which 'sufereth long and
Buddha anything more sublime than this aphorism
OF John: God Is love, and he that dwelleth in love
dwelleth in God and God in him."
Another illustration OF effective treatment of In
gerSOlPS destructive, 1cOnOclaSttc tendencies is
afforded in another portion OF this letter. III it
were possible" says IngerSOlS critic, "fOr you to
sweep away the evidences of Christianity you
have not swept away Christianity itself: it still
lives not only in tradition, but in the hearts of the
people, entwned with all that is sweetest In their
domestic life, from which it must be torn out with
unsparlng hand before 1t can be extirminated To
begin with you turn your back upon history. All
that men have done and suffered for the sake Of
religion was folly. The Pilgrims who crossed the
sea to find freedom 10 worship God in the forests
OF the New World, were miserable fanatics There
is no more place in the world for heroes and mar
tyrs. He who sacrifices his life for faith or an
idea Is fool. The only practical wisdom is to
have sharp eye to the main chance II you keep
on in this world OF demolition you will soon destroy
oil our ideals.
Family life withers under the cold sneer-half
pity and half scOrn-w1th which you look down on
household worship. Take from our American fire.
sides such scenes as that pictured in the COtters
Saturday Night, and you have taken from them
their most sacred hours and their tendereSt men,
cries."
This is way of dealing with Ingersoll which
more Intelligent and honest admirers to thinking,
and they cannot follow out any OF the many lines
OF thought suggested In Mr.. Fields letter without
seeing that he Is nih1liSt, who would destroy all
that is most essential to the continuance OF our
Christian civilization without Offering the Slight
est substitute or consolation. In It's tone, its
candor, its genuine liberaltty, and its scope and
thOrOughneSS, 1t Is unique among the many Crit1-
c1smS on the burly, brawny, and brainy unbe-
lever, who has turned his nfidelity into profit
able industry, reckless OF the moral deSOlatiOn
and ruin he is bringing to the young and inexpe-
r1enced, and to weak and unframed souls.